Ball retarder for bowling alleys



E. HEDENSKOOG 1,714,310

BALL RETARDER FOR BOWLING ALLEYS May 21, 1929.

Fild Aug. 11. "1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 21, 1929.

E. HEDENSKOQG BALL RETARDER FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Afi 11 .1928

May 21, 1929. E. HEDENSKOOG BALL RETARDER FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 11, 1928 Patented May 21, 1929.

* UNITED STA E A T F ERNEST HEDENSKOOG, 01 MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO THE BRUNSWICK- BALKE-GOLLENDER 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

B ALL RETARDER FOB BOWLING ALLEYS..

Application am August 11, 1928. serialio. 298,995.

My invention relates to bowling alleys and has special relation to devices for re-' tardingthe movement of bowling balls on returnways. One object of my invention is to provide a bowling ball retarder which engages the ball and arrests its movement but is actuable by reason of the weight of the ball to release the same and permit its further '10 movement onto a rack.-

Another object of my invention is to provide a retarder of the type described having rails which constitute part of a returnway and cause the moving ball to engage a stop but are movable under 'the weight'of the ball to release the same from the stop and permit the continued. movement of the ball.

Further objects and' advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings:

Fi 1 is a side elevational view of a bowling ball retarder and associated parts embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 4. are .sectional views on the lines 2 2 and 4-4 of Fig. 1.

J Figs.3 and 5 are sectional lines 3-3 and 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fi 6 is a view partly in elevation and part y in section showing" an adapter by means of which the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is rendered operable with balls of small diameter.

A pair of rails 1 constitute a part of the returnway on which the balls travel inthe direction indicated by marrow in Fig. 1, and are mounted at one end on a support 2 which extends upwardly thereabove and is bowed outwardly as shown in Fig. 4., A sto or bumper'3, which ma be made of mounted on the up er part of the support and has a pair of an es or lateral projections 4 which are sli ably received in recesses in the sup ort to permit the stop to be readily assem led in position or withdrawn, so that after one stop becomes worn out another may be readily substituted. A pair of rails 5 which constitute a rack are sup orted at one end by'a newel post 6 and at t e other end by the support 2, and the rails 5 are cut awa 'to provide room for a pair'of inclined ralls 7 which'are mounted thereon by means of a'pivot pin 8, the

views .on the 7 rubber or other yieldab e material, is

pivoted rails 7 being movable upwardly and downwardly between the rack rails 5.'

A ball traveling on the rails 1 is brought into engagement with the sto 3 and its movement arrested. The rails; then move downwardly under the weight of the ball to release it from the stop and thus to permit the further forward movement thereof. To

retard the descent of the rails so that the ball may not move forward too quickly a dashpot is provided which comprises a c linder 10 havingv a piston 11 therein throng which a duct 12 extends to permit fluid to pass from one face of the piston to the other. A stem 13 secured to the iston' extends upwardly through a cap 14 w ich closes the top of the piston, and the u per end of the stem en gages a plate 15 w ich is's'ecured to the un' der-face of the rails 7.. Because of the smallness of the duct 12 the downward movement of the piston is slow, so that. the ball is held motionless fora brief interval oftime. When the ball is lowered suflicientlyit disengages from the. stop 3 and rolls downwardly on the rails '7 and" comes to rest on the rack '5.

Whenthe pivoted rails 7 are relieved of the wei ht o 'thejball they are moved upwardly y a'spring 16 which is enclosed by the cylinder 10 and forces the piston 11 upwardly. I

The dashpot also operates to retard the upward movement of the rails 7 The ball retarder makes very 7 is comparatively slow. however, is positive in its action and pre-' vents the possibility of a ball passing belittle noise in operation as the movement of the rails- The retarder,

yond the stop without having its speed 7 checked. V

A mounting is rovided for the dashpot, which facilitates gm assembly of the latter with the support 2. A lug 17 extends inwardlyfrom a side of the sup on and constitutes a rest for the base 0 the cylinder 10. A similar lug 18 has an opening therethru which is aligned with an openmg in a horizontal portion 20 of'the support, and the cylinder 10is assembled by merely insertin the same through the aligned o 'enmgs an bringing the base of the cylin or into en--' ga ement-w'ith the lug 17.

n order to use the described retarder tion of t e retarder with sma 1 balls is pracpart of a returnwa for a ball, a stop above tically the same as with large balls, the difference being chiefly in the distance of the stop from the rails.

My inventionis not limited to the specific deta ls of the constructions illustrated and described, but these constructions may be extensively modified within the spirit of the invention.- A substantial range of equivalents is contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. In a bowling ball retarder, the combination of a pair of fixed rails constituting a returnway for balls, :1. stop above said rails engageable b a ball for arresting the movement thereo and means including a member below said stop and mounted for movement under the weight of the ball for releasing said ball from said stop and permitting the further movement of said ball.

2. In a bowling ball retardenthe combination of a pair of fixed rails constituting a part of a returnway for a'ball, a stop, above said returnway for arresting a ball, a pair of movable rails constituting a continuation of the returnway, and means normally sustaining said rails in an'elevated position but 1 yieldable under the weight of the ball on said movable rails to permit downward movement of thesame and the release of said ball for I continued movement.

3. In a bowling ball retarder, the combiination of a pair of fixedrails constituting a said rails, a pair 0 railspivoted at one end, and means for normally sustaining the free ends of said rails in an elevated position to cause said ball to engage said sto but yieldable under the weight of said ball acting on said pivoted rails, said pivoted rails being inclined to permit the continued movement of said bal after its descent beneath said stop.

" 4; In a bowling ball retarder, the combination of a pair of fixed rails constituting a part of a returnway, a stop above said fixe rails, a pair of pivoted rails constituting a continuation of said returnway, means for maintaining the free ends of said rails in elevated position adjacent the ends of said fixed rails to cause said ball to engage said stop and be arrested thereby, said means he 5. In a bowling ball rctarder, the combination of a pair of fixed rai'ls constituting a part of a returnway, a pair of pivoted rails a stop above the free ends of said pivoted rails for checking the movement of a ball on said returnway, a support for said fixed rails and said stop, and means including a spring housed in said sup ort for normally maintaining said free en s of said pivoted rails in elevated position but yieldable to permit the descent of said pivoted rails and the release of the ball from said stop.

6. In a bowling ball retarder, the combination of a pair of fixed rails, a pair of pivoted rails, all of said rails constituting a re turnway, a stop above the free ends of said pivoted rails for checking the movement of a ball on the returnway, a su port for said stop and said fixed rails an a'dashpot'on said support for checkin the descent of said pivoted rails under t e weight of the ball, said dashpot including'a cylinder containing fluid, a piston having a duct therethru for the passage of fluid from one side of the piston to the other and a stem extending upwardly from said piston and operatively related to said pivoted rails adjacent their free ends, and a spring in said cylinder for forcing said piston u wardly and normally maintaining the ee nds of said pivoted rails in elevated positi n whereb a ball traveling on the returnway is chec ed by engaging said stop, said s rin being 'yieldable to permit the descent o sai pivoted rails and the release of said ball from said stop. V

7. In a bowling ball retarder, the combinationof a pair of fixed rails constituting a part of a returnway, a newel post, a pair of rails constituting a rack for balls and rigidly secured at one end about said newelpost, a support for the other ends of the rack rails and said fixed rails, apair of rails pivoted to said rack rails, means for normally maintaining the free ends of said pivoted rails adjacent the" ends of said fixed bya large ball traveling on said returnway yieldable under the weight of a ball on said and an additional stop etachably secured to movable rails to permit the ball to move for said support and positioned between the ward under the stops and become disengaged 10 first-mentioned stop and the returnway and therefrom.

5 engageable by a small ball traveling on the In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe returnway and means normally supporting my name. said movable rails in elevated position but ERNEST HEDENSKOOG. 

